Lesbians Arrested For Demanding Equal Marriage Rights

A lesbian couple was arrested in Denver yesterday when they refused to leave the office of the city clerk after having been denied a marriage license. They were allowed to sit in at the office until closing time and were then arrested and charged with trespassing. That's courage. That's commitment. And, this effort even after an anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment was passed in the state. I have to say that my attitude after the permanence an amendment passage would be "fuck this, let's just go." They are truely inspiring.

Maryland Sucks

Maryland's highest court, in a shameful display of bigotry and cowardice, abandoned the principles of equality and justice to reject the pleas of gay couples in that state for marriage equality, choosing instead to maintain a tradition of discrimination. It was a 4-3 decision in which the majority's statements seemed to indicate a passing of the issue off to the legislature. How brave of them.

Kersten - Unhinged Because She's Losing

Her column in yesterday's Star Tribune advocates for an anti-gay marriage amendment in Minnesota. The fascist rant is rationalized around the recent ruling in Iowa by a county judge that found Iowa's constitution does not prohibit same sex marriages. In the course of her distortion-filled, fear-mongering, mob-inciting article she actually states that in the event of an Iowa Surpeme Court ruling that upholds the lower court decision, get this, "Laws supporting male-female marriage will be a thing of the past in Iowa." A thing of the past.

The one word that would have made this statement true and conveyed the rightness of such a ruling to all freedom-loving, equality-embracing, rational people is "exclusively"...placed right after the word "Laws." I'm sure the omission was just a typo.

One Senator Dissents

My Senator, Ann Rest, was the only vote against the emergency flood funding bill passed in the forced-march special session of the legislature on Tuesday. It was a protest vote. She was protesting the fact that an urgently needed transportation funding bill was not even considered. Good for her. Too bad there's only one of her.

Special Session Report

Arriving at the Capitol a little after 4 PM, I positioned myself in front of the House chamber with the "LET ME MARRY MY PARTNER OF 16 YEARS" shower curtain. Some of the usual lobbyists were there and we traded stories of summer trips. The House Chaplain stopped on his way in and we chatted briefly. I stayed until the House DFLers made their way by en masse, having finished their pre-session caucus. There were many greetings and encouragements for my cause.

Just before 5:00 I hurried over to the Senate to see if I could catch some on their way in. Mee Mua came up and offered her hand and Scott Dibble as well. I had missed most of the senators entering while I was in front of the House. Oh well. The message was present for the special session and that's what counts.

The only excitement came when a group of transportation advocates marched through the building carrying a picture of the 35W bridge collapse and chanting slogans promoting the passage of a transportation bill. As they passed by me on the Senate stairs, one of them turned to me and said, "I agree with you." I agree with him too.

I packed up and made my way down the Senate stairs about 5:15.

Hate In Israel?

According to an article in yesterday's Star Tribune, a neo-Nazi gang based in Israel has been attacking minorities and Orthodox Jews there. An Israeli paper was headlined "Unbelievable" in response to the attacks and the leader of a Jewish organization said, "We thought it would never happen here." Really. Well, apparently they hadn't noticed that for the last two years Orthodx Jews have been running riot in the streets during gay pride, starting fires, throwing rocks, bottles and shit at gay pride participants and even attacking gays with knives. Hmmmm....unbelievable huh? Oh the hypocrisy. What goes around, comes around.

Legislature Meets In Special Session, 5PM, Tues. 9/11

I'll be there at 4:00 with extra signs on the House side and try to split the time with the Senate. I assume they're meeting simultaneously. The DFL has promised a one-day session dealing only with flood relief, but once they're in session they can do whatever they want. I hope they remember that they're a separate branch of government from the executive and don't have to do what the governor wants. That's probably asking too much.

A special message in honor of the special session might be in order. Something like, "STRAIGHT MARRIAGE ISN'T SPECIAL - MARRIAGE EQUALITY NOW." I dunno.

Arnold Gets Another Marriage Bill

The California legislature passed a bill providing equal marriage rights for same sex couples today. This is the second time they have done so and this time by a wider margin. The governor will have until October 14 to sign or veto the bill. Last time he vetoed it. This time...surprise us, Arnold.

Stability? No Thanks.

As we enter yet another White House generated campaign of Iraq war lies fronted by a general, I find it necessary to remind myself of the realities of all this war stuff.

First, the Neocon/oil/war machine in control of the United States doesn't want stability in Iraq. Iraq WAS stable before the Neocons invaded it and did everything they could to make sure the country would remain in chaos after the invasion. Remember, after the U.S. invaded they fired the Iraqi army and let them take their guns with them. They allowed the infrastructure to collapse and government offices to be looted. They left huge stockpiles of weapons and explosives unguarded and available for the taking.

A common complaint of the impotent left in this country is that (whining here), "There was no post-war plan....what were they thinking!?" Here's what they were thinking: Tribes of crazy Iraqi religious fanatics, massively armed by us will keep Iraqis fighting with each other and watching their backs while we make off with the oil that used to be under the tight control of a stable, yet brutal, Iraqi government. THAT WAS THE PLAN. It also doesn't hurt the cause of chaos that we just cant' seem to get the electricity back on or the water running. People are so busy trying to survive that they just can't get organized enough to throw off their oppressors. Hmmmmm, sounds a bit like this country.

All of this pretend hand-wringing by bandwagon-riding politicians and the complicit press in this country over the inability of the Iraqi government to stabilize that country is a massive fucking charade. If the Iraqis really did pull it together and focus on governing, the first thing a stable government would do is take control of it's natural resources...like oil. Believe it, that is the LAST thing Bush wants.

Iowa's Brush With Marriage Equality

Hours after a county judge in Iowa declared the state's ban on gay marriage illegal, clearing for way for gays to get married, he stayed his ruling pending an appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court. Fortunately, at least one quick thinking young gay couple got their marriage license, paid five bucks to waive the three day waiting period and got legally married by a Unitarian minister before the narrow window of opportunity was "stayed" out of existence. Tough luck for everyone else though, eh.

Jeesh yeah, just because you make an historic ruling overturning discrimination against an oppressed group and make a big statement about equality doesn't mean you just go and let those oppressed people actually exercise their rights. Oh, hell no. That courageous act would mean you actually believed in what you just ruled.